1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a system and method of transmitting and receiving gaming information and more particularly to a system and method which utilizes impulse radio technology to allow gaming users to communicate either with a host system or other gaming users in an interactive and wireless fashion.
2. Background of the Invention and Related Art
There are currently several systems allowing gaming users to either communicate with a host system or to communicate directly with each other. Such systems include Compuserve, America Online, as well as various Bulletin Board services. One of the disadvantages of such systems is that they require standard telephone lines in order to properly operate. For example, a gaming user on one of these systems is required to dedicate a telephone line in order to participate in communications with either a host system or other gaming users. Another disadvantage to such systems is that they are not sufficiently mobile to allow gaming users flexibility in their movements and travels if they wish to retain the interactive capability. As a result, in order for two or more gaming users to directly communicate with a host system or one another, the gaming users must either be within close proximity to one another to allow for a cabled connection or, in the alternative, communicate through a telephone line.
To overcome these disadvantages, wireless communication devices have been developed such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,039, to Schwendeman et al. (the ""039 patent) which discloses a portable communications receiver. Although the invention allows for receiving and detecting periodically updated information in a wireless fashion, it does not allow for interactive communication.
Further, a wireless means for interactive communication has been developed such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,583, to Comas et al. (the ""583 patent) which discloses an interactive wireless gaming system having a plurality of wireless gaming units operating alternately as a host device and a guest device. The wireless gaming units further comprise a receiver for receiving wireless messages which includes gaming information generated by the gaming units with the gaming information having periodically updated data signals which indicate a present position of a plurality of moveable objects moving periodically as the data signals are updated. However, although the ""583 patent discloses wireless means for the information transfer, it is plagued by problems associated with existing wireless technologies such as multipath problems, higher power requirements, limited bandwidth and the lack of position determination by the wireless device.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a system allowing for the communication between a gaming user and a host system or with other gaming users in an interactive fashion and using a wireless means which overcomes the shortcomings of existing wireless technologies.
There is an additional need in the art to provide a system allowing for the communication between a gaming user with a host system or with other gaming users through a paging network using current paging technology combined with improved wireless techniques.
Further, there is an need in the art to provide a system allowing for the communication between a gaming user with a host system or with other gaming users wherein the wireless means for information transfer also provides location information of the gaming user""s remote device.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an interactive wireless gaming system which utilizes the significant wireless improvements of impulse radio technology for gaming system enhancements. For instance, the interactive wireless gaming system has a plurality of impulse radio wireless gaming units operating alternately as a host device and a guest device. Each impulse radio wireless gaming unit includes an impulse radio receiver for receiving impulse radio wireless messages including gaming information from a game server, a display for displaying the received gaming information, a processor for generating updated gaming information, and an impulse radio transmitter for transmitting impulse radio wireless messages including the updated gaming information to said game server. The game server then uses impulse radio technology to interact with and provide the updated gaming information to the other impulse radio wireless gaming units.